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In a repeat scenario from last January, Apple Inc. is contesting two petitions from shareholder groups to increase the company’s environmental efforts, according to Apple’s proxy statement, reports EE Times. Two of the proposals call on Apple to establish a board-level sustainability committee, and to report how the consumer electronics company will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address other environmental and social issues such as toxics, recycling and employee and product safety, according to the article.

In January last year, Apple opposed a shareholder resolution that would require the company to publish a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, despite unveiling a number of new green products.

Apple’s board is rejecting both petitions this year, stating the company has taken appropriate steps to protect the environment including posting information at its Web site since August about its carbon footprint and recently released products, reports EE Times.

The proposals will be voted on at the company’s annual stockholder meeting February 25 at its corporate office in Cupertino, Calif., according to the proxy statement, reports EE Times.

The company’s annual proxy statement includes the board’s recommendations for votes on seven proposals in total including one submitted by John Powers from the activist group As You Sow, which again calls for Apple to establish a sustainability report with detailed data on its greenhouse gas emissions and toxic materials, while addressing employee and product safety, reports MacNN.

The activist group wants Apple to expand its reports to include aggregate emission estimates, along with specific commitments regarding greenhouse gas reduction, reports MacNN.

In response, the Apple board said a sustainability committee is not needed since it receives regular reports on the company’s environmental initiatives which are making significant progress, including improvements in energy efficiency in its products, along with supplier audits to check compliance with its code of conduct, reports MacNN.

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Reader Comments

I am dismayed at Apple’s decision to not listen to shareholder requests that they create an annual CSR report. Unfortunately, Apple markets its gadgets so well and continues to produce desirable products that they are in a position to discount what their stakeholders are demanding. But this is bound to change as the public demands more transparency and accountability from organizations.

Last August I was excited to see that Apple began providing carbon footprint information but am once again surprised at their arrogance. CSR reports are standard among large corporations and to dismiss shareholder requests for them shows that Apple as a company has not internalized sustainability into their business process.

We all love Apple, but this makes me wonder – why the reluctance to whole-heartedly embrace transparent sustainability? We all know that electronics use precious metals, data centers use energy, e-waste is a problem etc. But they must know that the hard #’s on their footprint would fade quickly from public attention; whereas the stigma of not putting out a CSR seems to fly in the face of the very image of the company itself….

Disappointing indeed. This makes Apple look like they’re all about the appearance of being green – being selective about what they want the public to know about their progress toward becoming more sustainable, which is not how it works. No one expects perfection, but we do expect transparency, especially when other PC makers are already providing it.